Film review: "Goldbuster"

Thursday

May 3, 2018 at 1:06 AM

Andrew Shearer @abhcinema

As movie fans watch the worldwide box office numbers of current blockbuster movies skyrocket by the day, it’s important to note that not every title that appears in the top 10 is an American release. A trio of Chinese films - one action (“Operation Red Sea”), one comedy (“Detective Chinatown 2”) and one fantasy (“Monster Hunt 2”) - all appear on the list alongside familiar names like “Black Panther” and “Ready Player One,” and all feature the same top-notch production value and briskly-paced storytelling style.

Though Sandra Ng’s “Goldbuster” shares those same traits, and could arguably be considered more thematically accessible to Westerners than any of its hit Chinese contemporaries, it’s way too bizarre to appeal to as many people. That’s not to say a big-budget supernatural comedy featuring a cast jam-packed with talented comedic actors isn’t highly entertaining, but the “kitchen sink” approach to structure and plot is just as dizzying as it is fun and colorful.

“Goldbuster” starts out with a very “Ghostbusters”-like pre-credit sequence in which a terrified-looking delivery man navigates a dark and dilapidated apartment building he rightly assumes was the result of a prank or an error on the part of his employers. Bathed in shades of spectral blue light that contrast with the hapless character’s bright yellow motorcycle helmet, the empty hallways soon become host to a tall, stringy-haired figure reminiscent of Samara from “The Ring” that floats closer to the screen until the flashes of its half-mangled face send the poor guy running for the exit. Like him, the audience accepts what they’ve just seen as fact, only to discover within moments that the prank was pulled on them as well.

Such is the nature of “Goldbuster,” a traditional David and Goliath story that pits the holdout residents of Prestige Garden apartments against brazenly shady real estate developer Richie Xiu (Shen Teng) and his never-ending barrage of scare tactics designed to cause the remaining tenants to vacate their units so the barely-standing structure can be demolished. The rag-tag group, believing that an honest to goodness evil force has taken roost in the building, hires a specialist named Ling-Ling (Ng) to help combat the disturbance. Despite a lack of high-tech ghostbusting gadgets, Ling talks a good game and quickly gains everyone’s confidence by using an interesting mix of mystical hoodoo and martial arts mastery.

At age 52, Ng is something of a revelation to see on screen as a hero, leader, and comedic lead. Knowing that she also directed the film (her debut behind the camera after decades of starring roles, including both “Monster Hunt” movies and several entries in “Kung Fu Hustle” filmmaker Stephen Chow’s early career) makes the achievement even more impressive, particularly given the scale of the production. The ensemble cast of tenants (a widower who believes the poltergeist to be the spirit of his late wife, an energetic YouTube personality, a little boy, and two bickering couples with their own distinct set of quirks) and villians is just as colorful and interesting as the palette of the film itself, and the rapid-fire plot twists occur almost as frequently as the jokes.

But what sets “Goldbuster” apart from the big hit American movies currently occupying the box office charts is the sense of humor it has about itself. Ng and her cast play ridiculous like nothing in recent memory, but can turn to the dramatic within a few beats, adding to the atmosphere of constant mystery and excitement while maintaining a careful grip on character and plot. I was shocked when an emotionally tense action set piece took place a good 20 minutes before the film’s end, tossing aside the type of structure we’re used to seeing with stories like this in the name of adding yet another level of trickery to the experience. By the end, it’s clear that Ng is a master of multiple cinematic genres and enjoys seeing how fast she can take them apart and put them back together just in time for the viewer to catch up (but never catch on).

“Goldbuster” is now available via streaming rental and digital download.

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